Carton carrier



Dec. 7, 1954 Filed Oct. 15, 1951 A. CHURCH ETAL CARTON CARRIER 2sheets-sheet 1 INVENTORS HL E/ET CHI/RC6 BY/L/HAOLD G/PfE/VZHH/ @z myw47' TOR/VE'YS Dec. 7, 1954 CHURCH ET AL CARTON CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Oct. 15, 1951 INVENTORS M m E cw N 6 P m Mm r m 9 Y B Unimd a esPatent :GAR'EON'CNRRIER.

AlbertQCliurch. and Harold Greenlaw, Oakland; Calif .assi'gnors .toEdlo, Inc.,. San- Erancisco, Calif a. corporation of California.

Applicationflctober I;;195;1,"SerialNo. 251329 -*9'- Claims.(Gl.'294-87.2)

':normal manner of packing alarge number: ofsuchcartons for shipment orthat would tend to cause-injurythereto during transportation anddelivery of such cartons.-

'I-htthe marketing ofzmilk; -it v has been established" that ax-large"number of user I purchasers'buy a half gallon '01 "more-of milk. atatime, and others;woul'dipurchase'itfin larger than-quart-cartons'ifsuc'h apurchase'did' not reguire "-liandlingtwowor more separatecartons. To meet this demand, cartonsaofirthe'agabl e "top 'ki'nd' havebeen made 'in half'gallon-sizes; and special'carriers, such-asshowninoopendin'g- U. "S. Letters Patent application, SeriaP'No. 217,820;fil'ed March 27, v1-951, byd latt-et..al;, :have" been provided for"securing-two of the conventional"horizontal *top-rcartonsofsmaller'thanhalfgallon si'ze'togetheiz'. This provisionrelative to "the-horizontalor fiat topzcartons was mad'ebecause offthe 'impracticability'of makingsuch-eartons-in larger sizes;

'Itghas'been discovered, sincethe marketing of flat top quart sizedcartons inpairs securedtogether byja carrier as' disclosed in saidapplication; thatmany persons prefer to purchase. a quantity of milksuch as a half ,gallon,.for example, in :twozquart'cartons rather thanin a singleihalf gallon container, inasmuch asthe milk, in;man yinsta'nces, is: not all used immediatelyiand one cartonmwilliremai'nsealed while-the other isbeingused.

Also, many of'the smallerdairi'es areequipped'to package milkin.thequart size gable ,top' cartons, fbutitarenot 'equippedlo packagemilkgin the half gallon..car.tor1s,,and :the. expense involved'in soequipping their-establishments is "too great in comparisomto thedemand'tomake'itgprofitable; Thus the provision of .eeonomicalimeansfor. securing several'cartons, of say quart sizetoge'ther as a unit andwhich means includes a provision ,for carrying said. cartons; enablessaid dairies to packagemilk .in largerthan quart sizes withoutincurring. the .additionaliexpense. of addi'ngequipment formakingjlarg'er sized icartonanand without devoting room to suchequipment.

Other, objects .and' advantages. will appear {in the. drawings'and inthe description.

In'the drawings:

Fig, 1 is a side. elevational view.-of a blank. that; is adapted to beformed; to provide a collanfor. holdingm'ilk I cartons togetheras aunit.

Fig. 2. is.anelevationalviewof an element adaptedtto be. carried by theblankofFig, l to enablecarrying the cartons secured. together by saidcollar.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the carrier. in assembled form, butwithout the .cartonsthat are. to be carried thereby;

Fig. 4' is" a fragmentary perspectiveview'of the'upper end ofaeonventional gable-top milkcarton showing one :of the; twolate'rallydirected invertedflgenerally V-s'liaped '-recesse s =at the'upper' end o'f such cartons ICC F-ig; 1S is a side elevational view ofthe carrier- 0f Fig. 3 With'theupper ends only ofti a pair-ofgable-'top'-.cartons held'i'nv saidrcar-rier.

Figr6 isafragmentaryelevational-viewof ablank--show- 'ing'ga'modification of' th'e invention -illustrated in Fig '1".

*Fi'g'. 7 i'sa "fragmentaryperspective view ofthehandl'e portion ofthecar'rier'of Fig. 6;.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged-'fragmentary seetionahviewtaken alongline 88-ofFig: 7.

"Fig; 9 isa fragmentary elevationalview-of the h'andl'e portion'ofablank showing'a modification of the invention shown in%Figs.' -1,6.

Fig: 10- is a"fragmentaryperspective view ofthe handle .portion of Fig.9 in assembled relation.

'Ih'rd'etail, the blank of Fig; 1--comprises"a='horizontally elongatedstrip 1"of'cardboarddivided bytransversely'eretendingparallel-folding*creases 2; 3', 4; 5; 6 and 7*(et'artingtfromthe'-left-'thand"side asseeninFig; 1)"'for folding said strip. toprovideuatrectangular collar adapted to enclose "thezupper endsof a:pair of" milk" cartons "that are inside" by side engaging relationship.

The width of strip" between crease 3 and the left-hand fiend of said.strip lS'ZSllbStflIltlflllY' greater than the re.- rnaind'er'of thestrip, across which creases 4 to "1 inclusive extend; andthevwidth ofthe said remai'ningxstripxis uniform exceptifor'a tab'thatisformedon'the' righthandend portion, as willbe described'more' in' detail lateron.

The enl'arged end portion of strip 1 (left hand end as seen in Fig. 1,),is generally designated..8 and folding crease Zdittides said p'ortioninto" two equalparts9,f1'0:

The portion" l l 'between creases3; 4fforms"half of one side ofiithecollar"for"thei cartons (Fig, 3;)". "P'ortion"12 between creases 4'; 5forms one end of the co'llar'andithe portion- 13"between creases 5, "6forms the full side of the collarithat isopposed to portion' 11',andportion '1'4bejtween' creases 6,. 7.-f0rms the end of the collar thatis op- ,posite Itoiend'12'. The right hand end: portion .15- of. stripljto the .righ'toflcrease 7 forms the side of the collar op- ,poseditoportion 13 and .overlapsithe portion. 11.

The portion 11'.is ..about..centrally formed. with. agen- -erall'yhorizontally elongatedislot .I'61that .is adapted to .re- .ceive atdownwardlyextending Ibekingtab '17 formed on ;the..terrninating-,free.endiof portion '15. Whentlieiab. 17 Jisthrust. downwardly iinto' slot1&6,.the. collar. is locked: in collar form against. opening.

In. Fig 4; the upper. .end of a conventional gable-top cartonisyshown.These ..cartons are' .squarein'horizontal .cross sectionalv contour and.two of. the-opposedlsides 18 .are .extendediupwardly as indicated. at 19and theupper .marg'ina'lhportions 2070f said. extensions.are.:stapled.,.to- .gether'by staples .21. "The other. two.opposed'sides 22.0f the carton .are integrallyconnected. with the sides18. and have. .upward' extensions 23" that. aretdldtd inwardly.toward'eaeh otherwhen the marginal'portions- 2T0.are.staple d togetherwhereby. laterallyoppositely outwardly opening g'enerally. inventedl.vvshaped recesses. 24. are formed .at the. uppermost endtoffthereartonuAs. one marginal. ;por- .tionlflof'one.extension..19,is provided witha.fiap'25 that extends .over .the. outer. side. of the .othen of saidvmarginal portions 2'0, and is stapled to. said-marginal. portions .20,the V-shaped. recess,. 24.aterminates at its ,apexinaa relatively sharp:inverted V pointtthesides of which arenthe margihalportiohs. .20.thatarezatopposite. sides-of the pair .of. staples 11, the. latterbeing. fairlymear'the-centerof the .marginallportions r20.

The; laterally oppositely outwardly opening recesses .24 areusednforreceiving:projections that are. carried: by the strip. 1(Whenthe latter is around=the-top' of zarpair ofsaid cartons) 'so thatthezcollar cannottbe slipped upwardlyand aoifathmcarrtohsawhen the?collar is onthezcartons;

Fig; 2 showsxonezof the means that maybe used-toprovide:saidzzprojectionsz This :means comprises a blank or element28":tha't"is-dividedbya folding crease 29 i1'1to two equaltandcorrespondingly shaped parts 30*. 'Theparts '30 are' symmetrical atopposite sides of the crease '29:

Edges '31 ifo'feaoh'part 30 extend 'diverg'entl'y'from'the ends-ofcrease "29 *for"the same distance: andthen eonvergently as at 32 toapices that are notched outto pro- '-vide'*recesses'- When the parts 30*are folded 'on' themselves-'along the folding crease Z9their-correspond-ingedges are in alignment and the edges of notches 33are in registration or alignment.

The portion 8 at one end of strip 1 is enlarged by projecting one of thelongitudinally extending edges of said strip, while the oppositelongitudinally extending edge of said strip along portion 25 is inlongltudinal alignment with the remainder of said opposite edge.

Each of the projecting parts of halves 9, 10 is formed with a pair ofspaced finger receiving openings 35 so arranged that the openings 35 inpart 9 will register with the openings 35 in part 10 when parts 9, 10are folded on themselves along crease 2.

Below each pair of openings 35 in each of the parts 9, 10 the saidextensions of said parts are each formed with a generally A-shapedopening 36 in which the portion above the cross bar of the A is cut out.These openings 36 are in registration when parts 9, it) are folded onthemselves.

The distance from the apex of each of the A-shaped openings 36 to thelower end of each leg of the A is equal to the distance between thecenter of crease 29 in element 28 and the bottom of each notch or recess33. This permits the element 23 to be fitted in the A opening 36 withone of the halves 30 disposed in each leg of the opening. The resiliencyof the cardboard material of element 2% permits a side of each notch 33to snap across the lower closed end of each leg of the A opening 36 sothat the said element 23 will be held in said opening in the positionseen in Fig. 3 projecting equally from opposite sides of the handleportion 8 in the form of oppositely extending gable-like projectionsthat are generally designated 40 in Fig. 3.

The operation of securing a pair of gable-top cartons together comprisesthe steps of folding parts 9, 10 on themselves and then inserting theelement 28 (when the latter is bent to inverted V-shape along line 29)through the registering A openings 36. The parts 9, 10 are thenpositioned between a pair of cartons 41 (Fig. with the gable-projections40 extending into the opposedly opening recesses 24 that are formed bythe gable tops of the cartons. The remainder of the strip 1 is thenfolded along lines 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 to relatively tightly enclose thecartons 41 and locking tab 17 is thrust through the opening or slot 16thereby locking the collar about said cartons.

When the collar is in this position it will be seen that the openings 35are at opposite sides of the apices of the gable top of each of thecartons and two fingers of one hand can readily be thrust through saidopenings for easily carrying the cartons. The web left between openings35 greatly strengthens the handle so there is no likelihood of thehandle being torn away or injured. The positioning of the fingeropenings at opposite sides of the A opening 36 and at the opposite sidesof the gable tops of the cartons enables the handle portion of thecarrier to be sufficiently low to be unobjectionable in handling and inshipping the cartons in large numbers.

Upon lifting the carrier with the fingers through openings 35 theelement 28 will engage below the gable tops of the cartons, and as thehalves 30 of the element 28 are held in the legs of the A openingagainst movement toward each other, the gable engaging projections 40formed by element 28 will positively prevent any substantial upwardmovement of the carrier relative to the cartons and the cartons cannotpossibly fall from the carrier until the carrier is intentionallyremoved.

Figs. 6 to inclusive show several modified forms of the invention inwhich the elements that are adapted to engage under the gable tops ofthe cartons are integral with the blank that forms the collar andhandle.

The blank 43 shown in Fig. 6 is identical in every respect with blank 1of Fig. 1 except for the handle portion that is generally designated 44.A folding crease 45 divides portion 44 into two equal parts, the same ascrease 2 in Fig. l. The parts 46, 47 of blank 43 that project upwardlyabove the upper edge of the remainder of the blank are each formed witha horizontally elongated hand opening 48 that are in registration witheach other when the parts 46, 47 are brought together. Finger openingsmay be used the same as in Fig. 1 if desired.

Below each hand opening 48 each part 46, 47 is stamped out at one sideof a vertical medial line to provide a pair of laterally projectingpieces 49 each being integrally connected with the part from which it isstamped along a line that is coincidental with each of said verticalmedial lines, and along this line each piece 49 is formed with a foldingcrease 50.

The upper and lower edges 51 of the pieces 49 extend generallyhorizontally and slightly divergently relative to each other in the samegeneral direction from the upper and lower ends of the folding crease50. The free outer end edges of the pieces 49 are vertical.

Each piece 49 is formed with a vertical folding crease 53 that issubstantially midway between crease 50 and the free outer end edge ofsaid piece. Crease 53 in each piece 49 may be slightly closer to crease50 than to said outer edge, so that upon each piece being folded onitself along crease 53, and then swinging the folded pieces to positionsat right angles to the main portion 44, there will be a narrow endmarginal portion 54 that projects to the opposite side of said portion44. This folding of the pieces 49 is done before the parts 46, 47 arefolded on themselves, and the pieces 49 in said parts 46, 47 are sofolded that the folded piece 49 on part 46 will extend through theopening in piece 47 from which the piece 49 in part 47 was cut, andpiece 49 on part 47 will extend through the opening in part 46 fromwhich the piece 49 on part 46 was cut. The upper and lower divergentlyextending edges of the said openings in parts 46, 47 will be disposed atopposite sides of a medial vertical line on the parts 46, 47 when thelatter are folded together in opposed relation, hence there are nothrough openings in the handle portion below the hand openings 48. Themarginal portions 54 (Fig. 8) will be in overlapping engagingrelationship, so that the folded pieces 49 will not unfold.

It is obvious that the pieces 49 need not be so folded that marginalportions 54 are in overlapping relationship, since the halves of each ofsaid pieces can be stapled together to keep them from unfolding.

In use, the handle portion 44 is folded on itself after the pieces 49have been respectively folded on themselves as above described, and saidhandle portion is then disposed between a pair of cartons with theoppositely outwardly projecting pieces 49 extending into recesses 24 ofsaid cartons. The remainder of the blank is then folded around thecartons in the same manner as blank 1. Pieces 29 will prevent thecarrier from slipping off the cartons when the latter are lifted bylifting the carrier by means of the handle portion 44.

In Fig. 9 the handle portion 60 is formed with a medial vertical crease61, and registering pairs of finger openings 62 are provided that arethe same as openings 35 in Fig. 1.

Centrally below each pair of openings 62 a piece 63 is cut out alongvertical, spaced, parallel lines 64, each piece being integrallyconnected with each half of the handle portion at its upper end, andsuch connection is defined by a horizontal folding crease 65. Each piece63 terminates at its lower end in a swallow tail defined by edges 66that extend convergently upwardly from the lower ends of the edges alonglines 64. From the point of intersection of the pair of edges 66 extenda pair of folding creases 67. These creases extend gisvergently upwardlyto the ends of each folding crease In securing the carrier to a pair ofgable top cartons the handle portion 60 is first folded on itself alongcrease 61 and then pieces 63 are swung oppositely outwardly relative toeach other, and upwardly, about each crease 64 until the pieces 63 areagainst the main body of the handle portion and a staple 68 (Fig. 10)extending through said pieces 63 at a point between each pair of creases68 and through the folded handle portion secures said handle portionfolded and secures said pieces 63 against the handle portion.

The triangular sections 69 outwardly of each pair of divergent creases67 are adapted to be folded downwardly to meeting relation of thedivergently extending edges 66 of pieces 63, and when the staple 68secures said pieces to the handle portion the said sections 69 formoppositely outwardly projecting gables with edges 66 along the apex ofeach projection. These gable projections are adapted to be received inthe adjacent opposedly opening recesses 24 of the gable top pair ofcartons to be carried by the carrier. The remainder of the blank 60 isthe same as the corresponding part of strip The form of invention shownin Figs. 1 to 5 is preferred, but in each instance it will be noted thatthe handle portion extends between the pair of cartons to be securedtogether, and the handle portion also eatries projections that areadapted to fit into the space below the apices of the gable tops of saidcartons. In Figs. 4, 5 it will be seen that there is no chance of theprojections 40 collapsing, hence the carrier is rigid with the cartonswhen it is in position on them. While the carriers of Figs. 7, are safe,there is a tendency for more looseness.

We claim:

1. A carton carrier for a pair of rectangular vertically elongatedgable-top cartons comprising a rectangular cardboard collar adapted toextend around such pair for holding them together, a fiat cardboardhandle adapted to extend between said pair and between two opposed sidesof said collar when the latter is around said pair of cartons,oppositely outwardly extending projections on said handle positioned toextend below the gable-tops of said cartons when said handle is betweenthe latter.

2. A carton carrier for a pair of rectangular vertically elongatedgable-top cartons comprising a rectangular cardboard collar adapted toextend around such pair for holding them together, a fiat cardboardhandle adapted to extend between said pair and between two opposed sidesof said collar when the latter is around said pair of cartons,oppositely outwardly extending projections on said handle positioned toextend below the gable-tops of said cartons when said handle is betweenthe latter, said projections having divergently downwardly extendingsides adapted to generally correspond to the divergently downwardlyextending sides of said gable-tops.

3. A carton carrier for a pair of rectangular vertical- 1y elongatedgable-top cartons comprising a rectangular cardboard collar adapted toextend around such pair for holding them together, a flat cardboardhandle adapted to extend between said pair and between two opposed sidesof said collar when the latter is around said pair of cartons,oppositely outwardly extending projections on said handle positioned toextend below the gable tops of said cartons when said handle is betweenthe latter, said projections being disposed centrally between the saidopposed sides and a pair of finger openings formed in said handlerespectively at opposite sides of said projections and above the levelof said collar.

4. A carton carrier for a pair of rectangular, gabletop cartonscomprising a rectangular collar adapted to extend around said cartonswhen the latter are in engaging side by side relationship for holdingsaid cartons together, a fiat handle secured to said collar extendingbetween two opposed sides of the latter and adapted to extend betweensaid pair of cartons when said collar is around the latter, a pair ofsubstantially inverted V- shaped projections projecting oppositelyoutwardly of opposite sides of said handle for engagement under thegable-tops of said pair of cartons.

5. A carton carrier for a pair of rectangular, gabletop cartonscomprising a rectangular collar adapted to extend around said cartonswhen the latter are in engaging side by side relationship for holdingsaid cartons together, a flat handle secured to said collar extendingbetween two opposed sides of the latter and adapted to extend betweensaid pair of cartons when said collar is around the latter, a pair ofsubstantially inverted V- shaped projections projecting oppositelyoutwardly of opposite sides of said handle for engagement under thegabe-tops of said pair of cartons, said handle being a pair of layers ofcardboard in opposed engaging relationship and formed with a registeringpair of openings, and said projections being the opposite ends of anelement extending through said registering openings.

6. A carton carrier for a pair of rectangular gabletop cartonscomprising a rectangular collar adapted to extend around said cartonswhen the latter are in engaging side by side relationship for holdingsaid cartons together, a fiathandle integrally formed on said collarextending between two opposed sides of the latter and adapted to extendbetween said pair of cartons when the collar is around the latter, saidhandle including a portion adapted to extend above the level of saidcollar, a substantially A-shaped opening formed in said portion and asubstantially inverted V-shaped element extending through said openingand projecting from opposite sides of said portion for extending belowthe gable-tops of said cartons, and finger openings formed in saidportion at opposite sides of a line extending centrally through saidopening.

7. A carton carrier for a pair of rectangular gabletop cartonscomprising a rectangular collar adapted to extend around said cartonswhen the latter are in engaging side by side relationship for holdingsaid cartons together, a flat handle integrally formed on said collarextending between two opposed sides of the latter and adapted to extendbetween said pair of cartons when the collar is around the latter, saidhandle including a portion adapted to extend above the level of saidcollar, a substantially A-shaped opening formed in said portion and asubstantially inverted V-shaped element extending through said openingand projecting from opposite sides of said portion for extending belowthe gable-tops of said cartons, and finger openings formed in saidportion at opposite sides of a line extending centrally through saidopening, said handle being a cardboard extension of said collar foldedon itself to provide a double layer of cardboard, and inter-engagingmeans respectively on said extension and said element for holding thedouble layer of cardboard together and for positioning said element insaid opening with equal portions of said element projecting from saidopposite sides of said handle.

8. A carton carrier for a plurality of rectangular vertically elongatedgable-top cartons comprising a rectangular cardboard collar adapted toextend around such cartons for holding them together, a flat cardboardhandle positioned between certain of said cartons and between twoopposed sides of said collar when the latter is around said cartons,oppositely outwardly extending projections on said handle positioned toextend below and under the gable-tops of said cartons when said handleis between'the latter.

9. A carton carrier for a plurality of rectangular vertically elongatedgable-top cartons comprising a rectangular cardboard collar adapted toextend around such cartons for holding them together, a fiat cardboardhandle positioned between certain of said cartons and between twoopposed sides of said collar when the latter is around said pair ofcartons, oppositely outwardly extending projections on said handlepositioned to extend below and under the gable-tops of said cartons whensaid handle is between the latter, said projections being disposedcentrally between the said opposed sides and a pair of finger openingsformed in said handle respectively at opposite sides of said projectionsand above the level of said collar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date D. 162,515 Burge Mar. 20, 1951 1,965,886 Everhart July 10,1934 2,514,858 Gray July 11, 1950 2,523,985 Foster Sept. 26, 19502,559,374 Ringler July 3, 1951

